What's the difference between C4 and C5 of saxophone flute head?

The following is an excerpt from my previous book, focusing on western orchestral music for your reference:

woodwind instrument

There are many kinds of flutes, such as the most commonly used flutes in C, D, E-flat, G tenor and C bass. The range of a flute in C is three octaves, from c 1 to c4.

The flute is soft and clear, with a wide range, or clear as the first ray of sunshine in the morning, or graceful as the cold moonlight. Its bass is shocking, its alto is sweet and sad, and its treble is brilliant with birds singing. Flute is good at coloratura, and its playing skills are gorgeous and diverse. It usually plays the main theme in symphony orchestras and is an important solo instrument.

There are many kinds of piccolo, such as piccolo in C key and piccolo in D key, among which piccolo in C key is the most commonly used. The range span of piccolo is also three octaves, from d2 to d5.

Piccolo is one of the instruments with the highest range in the symphony orchestra, and its timbre is sharp and transparent, which is not as full as flute. Its bass is weak, the midrange is clear and sharp, and the treble is sharp and harsh, which is only suitable for playing strong notes. For this reason, piccolo is a decorative instrument, and it is rarely solo. However, due to the sharp and penetrating timbre of piccolo, if used conservatively and cautiously, the music of the whole band can be louder, more powerful and more brilliant. Musicians usually use piccolo to express victory, triumph and enthusiastic dance or to describe the whistling wind in a storm.

Clarinet is a huge family, including clarinet, alto clarinet, Bassett clarinet, bass clarinet, bass clarinet and many other woodwind instruments.

What we call clarinet, commonly known as clarinet, can be divided into B-flat, C-flat, A-flat and so on. In terms of timbre, the clarinet in C is sharp and lacks strength; Clarinet is sweet and round; B flat is brilliant and loud, so it is most commonly used. The clarinet in B flat has a very wide range, from E to c4.

Clarinet is flexible, which can not only easily play long notes that pass through multiple scales, but also play arpeggios continuously, which is rich in expression when solo.

Mozart was the first composer to use clarinet in symphonies. He thinks it is the closest instrument to human voice.

Saxophone is a French musical instrument manufacturer. Saxophone invented it in 1846. Among many types of saxophones, alto saxophone and alto saxophone are the most commonly used, and they often cooperate with alto saxophone and alto saxophone to form saxophone quartets.

The unique timbre of saxophone is highly praised by modern music, so it is widely used in modern jazz bands and occasionally in orchestras.

Oboe is also a huge family. Our common oboe is in the key of C, and the range is from #a to f3.

The oboe has a thin and sweet bass and a sharp treble, but generally speaking, there is no obvious difference in height, so it is not the first choice for solo instruments, and often plays the role of melody guidance, providing balance for clarinet and flute. However, the oboe is also called "lyric soprano" because its timbre is similar to a reed with a nasal sound, and it is good at playing slow melodies such as songs, which is often used to express rural scenery.

Another oboe, the oboe in F key, is five degrees lower than the oboe, and is called the alto oboe. We call it the British tube. The timbre of the English pipe is rich and desolate, which sounds like tears and is very suitable for playing sad melodies. But the English bagpipes are not the basic instruments of the orchestra, they are only used to express specific situations.

The origin of this name is not because the instrument comes from England, but because it has the same transliteration in the text.

Bassoon, also known as bassoon, is a bass instrument in woodwind instruments, with a range from #C 1 to #g2.

Bassoon is very important to the symphony orchestra. Its bass area is heavy and gloomy, but it has humorous and naughty effect when staccato; The alto is mild and sweet; Sorrow and pain in the high-pitched area. We usually use bassoon to express the power of darkness and evil.

Bassoon also has a variety of bass instruments-bass bassoon, whose range is eight degrees lower than bassoon, which can reach the lowest bass of woodwind instruments and even the whole symphony orchestra, and its timbre is sinister and vicious.

brass instruments

The French horn, also known as the French horn, is in F key, and its range ranges from C 1 to e3.

The sound of the horn is mellow, sweet, gentle and elegant, unlike other brass instruments with vibrating metal sound. It mainly acts as a medium between brass instruments and woodwind instruments, and its expressive force is extremely rich. It is the most widely used instrument in brass instruments.

Trumpets are divided into B-flat major, A-flat major and D-flat major, among which B-flat major is the most common. The trumpet has a range from A to c3.

The trumpet is loud and sharp, noble and gorgeous, majestic and solemn, with a sense of boldness and heroism. They can play loud trumpets and beautiful and singing melodies, which are mostly used to play trumpets and perform melodies. The high notes of the trumpet are easy to play, but the low notes are worse.

Mute can add mystery to the trumpet. Perhaps the most commonly used method is to plug a pear-shaped mute at the entrance, which can block 70% of the exhaust volume and achieve the purpose of changing the timbre to express lyricism, fantasy and mystery.

There is also a variant of trumpet instrument called cornet, which is generally in B flat. It is usually used only in military bands and ballroom bands, but rarely in orchestras. Its range is about between g and c3.

Trombone, also known as lens barrel, is divided into C, F, E flat, B flat, G flat and B flat bass. The range of F and E-flat is from B 1 to #d2, that of D is from E 1 to c2, that of G is from #C 1 to f 1, and that of B is from G2 to d 1.

The timbre of tenor trombone is between trumpet and French horn, and the timbre of bass trombone is full and rich, suitable for playing heroic and solemn music. The alto trombone is the most commonly used, and its timbre is proud and brilliant, solemn and majestic, full and loud, powerful and sharp, penetrating, and gentle and euphemistic when playing weakly. Trombone timbre is distinct and unified, which is rarely assimilated in the band and can even compete with the whole band. It is often used to play the bass melody of grand music.

Trombone has been widely used in jazz bands and is called "the king of jazz".

Tuba is the largest bass brass instrument in the symphony orchestra, with a range from #D 1 to # a.

The tuba voice is deep and dignified, and together with the double bass, it is the basis of the orchestra ensemble. In addition, the noble and powerful sound zone of large size often complements the trombone. Tuba is rarely used for solo, but mainly for bass harmony or rhythm. Although tuba has a deep bass, its high notes are beautiful and sometimes used to play melodies.

stringed instrument

Violin is a high-pitched instrument in the violin family, with a range from G to c4 or even higher. The tuning of the four strings is g-d 1-a 1-e2.

The four strings of the violin have their own characteristics: the E string is clear and sharp, the A string is soft and full, the D string is round and deep, close to human voice, and the G string is stiff but lacks strength. Violin is rich in artistic expression, implicit in expression, changeable, charming in singing and extremely rich in playing skills, so composers often use violin to trigger the tone of their works.

Violins of the symphony orchestra are divided into the first violin and the second violin. The former usually plays the main theme, while the latter plays the harmony accompaniment of the main part of the music. Violin is often used as a solo in chamber music and sketches, and has become one of the main instruments of contemporary pop music and jazz in recent years.

Viola is an alto instrument in the violin family, with music from C to c3 or even higher. The tuning of the four strings is C-g-d 1-a 1.

Viola is widely used in orchestral music, symphony and chamber music (especially string quartet). Viola usually plays the role of alto, accompanying and setting off the main theme, and is rarely used for solo.

The sound of viola is vivid, melancholy, sharp or charming, and the high notes are between violin and cello, which are often used to connect them. The sound quality of viola is quite special, and it can play nasal arias, which is very suitable for expressing deep and mysterious emotional appeal.

Cello is an alto instrument in the violin family, with a range from C to g2 or even higher, and the tuning of four strings is C-G-D-A.

The sound of cello is rich and full, especially the sound of A string is sharp and full, which is most suitable for playing melody. As one of the most common instruments in symphony orchestras, cello is suitable for playing various roles: sometimes it joins the bass camp and makes a heavy sigh in a low voice; Sometimes the middle two strings play the role of rhythm backbone. Among all musical instruments, the timbre of cello is the most suitable for expressing deep feelings. The beautiful melody played by the whole cello group is enough to dwarf any other instrument.

In addition, cello often appears in China National Orchestra as a tribute to Hu.

Double bass is the instrument with the largest volume and the lowest range in the violin family. The range is generally from D 1 to d 1, and the four-string tuning is e1-a1-d-g.

The tone of the double bass is rough, deep and powerful, and it can play wonderful overtones, which is suitable for slow playing. Sometimes playing strong notes can replace the role of timpani. The timbre of the plucked string is full and rich.

The double bass is the lowest voice in orchestral music and symphony, which plays the role of accompaniment and is rarely used for solo. But its strong bass is undoubtedly the embodiment of the powerful power in multi-part music.

The harp is the oldest plucked instrument, ranging from #B2 to f4.

The harp has an incomparable wonderful timbre, especially when playing arpeggio scales. Although the volume is small, it is soft as a rainbow, poetic, sometimes warm and sometimes mysterious, which is a concentrated expression of natural beauty.

Because of its rich connotation and beautiful sound quality, the harp has become a special colored instrument in symphony orchestras and musicals, mainly serving as a harmonious accompaniment and a sliding decorative sentence. In chamber music, the harp is also an important solo instrument, which can play a soft and beautiful lyric or cadenza, which is very infectious.

Guitar, also known as the lyre, has six strings and the tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E.

Guitar is almost never used in various bands because of its low volume. Guitar treble is clear and gorgeous, midrange is soft and beautiful, bass is full and deep. When it is used for solo, it can show rich harmony effect, have the emotional power of weeping, play wonderful overtones, and imitate the timbre of many percussion music. When guitar is used for accompaniment, it can give full play to its chord skills and make a rich foil for the main theme.

Piano has a wide range, large volume and rich timbre changes, and can express various musical emotions. It ranges from A2 to c5.

The piano has crisp high notes, full midrange and strong bass, which can imitate the effect of the whole symphony orchestra. Piano has always been loved by composers because of its unique timbre and full range of 88 keys.

Piano plays an important role in almost all forms of music, such as pop, rock, jazz and classical, and is known as the "king of musical instruments".

percussion instrument

The timpani is the most common and traditional percussion instrument. It has always been a fixed instrument in the percussion part of the symphony orchestra, an important color accompaniment instrument, and is also suitable for other bands.

The timbre of timpani is soft and full, and the volume is controllable. Different dynamics can show different music contents, and sometimes even play the melody directly. There are two ways to play: solo and roll. Single play is mostly used for rhythm accompaniment, while rolling can imitate thunder and the effect is realistic. As a colorful percussion instrument, timpani is incomparable in its rich expressive force.

Muqin belongs to the category of bamboo and wood musical instruments, and each tone has a fixed pitch, which can be used for solo melody.

Muqin was born in the14th century, with a range of three and a half to four octaves. Muqin is mostly used for solo, but he needs other instruments (such as piano and orchestra). ) to accompany it to set off its unique timbre and make it more attractive.

When playing strongly, the timbre of xylophone is strong, and when playing weakly, it is soft and sweet. Muqin's pronunciation is short and crisp, which is often used to play lively music and express a happy atmosphere. For continuous sound, two hammers must be used to strike the same sound bar alternately and quickly to obtain continuous effect. In addition, xylophone can also play a wonderful sliding sound and moving vibration, which is expressive.

Two other percussion instruments that are very similar to xylophone are lyre and pipe clock.

Drum is a double-sided musical instrument. By tapping the drum pestle, the sound intensity changes with the change of intensity, thus expressing different musical emotions. It is the most important percussion instrument in military band, orchestra and symphony orchestra. It rarely plays solo, but is an accompaniment instrument that participates in the ensemble or sets off the harmony of the band. But the position of the drum is very important, which not only enriches the bass part of the band, but also brings a momentum and adds vitality to the whole band.

The timbre of the drum is deep, loud and powerful, which is just right for imitating the thunder cannon.

The small drum, also known as the small drum, is a double-sided musical instrument with higher pronunciation frequency than the big drum.

Snare drum Jr. is as important as the big drum in various bands, and is often used together with the big drum. But the small drum is not used to strengthen the strong beat like the big drum, but to play a small rhythm on the weak beat to harmonize the timbre and enhance the rhythm of music.

The timbre is clear and bright, accompanied by rustling and unique. There are three kinds of playing methods: single playing, double playing and rolling playing, among which the rolling playing method is the most distinctive of the snare drum. The alternate striking of double pestles is very rapid, producing clear sound, and various processing effects (such as the difference between light, heavy, slow and urgent) can express different musical emotions.

The sound of the snare drum has strong penetrating power and the intensity changes greatly. You can also change the timbre by covering the drum surface with flannel or using drumsticks with different hardness, and you can play various atmospheres with rich expressive force.

Tambourine, also known as tambourine, is a single-leather musical instrument, which produces sound by tapping directly with hands. Tambourines are often used to set off a warm atmosphere and express a happy mood.

The timbre of tambourine is crisp and bright, and it can also make a quick and wonderful vibration.

Whether in folk dance or band accompaniment, tambourine is a rhythmic percussion instrument with strong color, which can be used as accompaniment, dance accompaniment and song accompaniment. The rhythm is free and performers can improvise.

Triangle iron, also known as triangle clock, is an ancient percussion instrument, belonging to the family of metal sounding instruments. It is an indispensable percussion instrument in orchestras, symphonies and even bands, and is often played in colorful paragraphs to enhance the atmosphere.

Triangle iron can make a silver bell trill, adding a special color to the whole band, and the embellishment effect is very obvious. You can also play various rhythm patterns and continuous and fast vibrato. Although the volume is weak, this wonderful feeling can still reverberate throughout the band.

Sand hammer belongs to the family of body-sounding instruments, generally belonging to percussion instruments.

Sand hammer is a typical Latin American rhythm instrument, which is often used in Latin American dance music and is also a necessary instrument for rumba bands, and sometimes used as a rhythm instrument in western orchestras.

When playing, the sand hammer will make a slight rustling sound, usually accompanied by allegro music or fast-paced music, which plays a role in setting off the atmosphere.

Castanets, also called Spanish castanets, belong to the category of bamboo and wood musical instruments.

Castanets are mostly used in national dances in southern European countries such as Spain and Italy and Latin America. In symphony, opera and ballet music, castanets are usually limited to accompaniment music, songs and dances in southern Europe and Latin America. Sometimes castanets can even be used for solo.

The sound of castanets is crisp and bright, which can not only directly play simple beats for songs and dances, but also play various complex and wonderful rhythm patterns, which is unique.

Gong, also known as China Gong, is a national band from China. It is the only Chinese musical instrument in the symphony orchestra and belongs to the category of metal body singing.

Gong is an important percussion instrument in modern symphony orchestra and orchestra. Changing the structure or texture of gong pestle head can effectively change the tone color of gong body.

The tone of the gong is deep, loud and powerful, with a long aftertaste. Gong is usually used to express tense atmosphere and ominous omen, which has a very unique artistic effect.

Some smaller gongs have a fixed pitch.

The cymbal, also known as the Turkish cymbal, is an ancient percussion instrument, belonging to a metal sounding instrument.

The timbre of cymbals is loud and powerful, and reverberation can travel far. When used for hard hitting, it is full of momentum and usually shows a passion; When used for weak voice performance, it acts like a drum and belongs to percussion instruments.

The sound of cymbals is penetrating and good at setting off the atmosphere. They are indispensable color percussion instruments in wind bands, symphony orchestras and orchestras.

When playing, cymbals can be hung on a bracket and rolled with a drumstick, which is very expressive. A flick is like a gurgling spring when ice and snow melt, and a thump is like the wind whistling in a storm.

Other musical instruments

The harmonica is a kind of small-sized floating-spring aviation acoustic instrument, which originated from China and Sheng.

There are many kinds of harmonicas. The most common harmonica is polyphonic harmonica, especially the 24-hole harmonica is a common variety in China.

Chromatic harmonica is probably the most expressive of all harmonicas. People can play a complete chromatic scale with it, even reaching a range of more than four octaves, so it is used in jazz and classical music.

The blues harmonica is very popular in Europe and America, also called the ten-hole harmonica. A hole in the harmonica represents two tones and can play twelve modes. The position of blues harmonica in blues music can be compared with guitar.

Harmonica is very popular among the people and occasionally used in other popular music.

accordion

Accordion is a kind of flexible reed instrument which can play both solo and accompaniment, and can play both single-part melody and multi-part music. Accordion is loud, rich in timbre, easy to learn and understand, and easy to carry. Accordion, like harmonica, originated from Sheng in China, so the pronunciation principle is basically the same.

There are many kinds of accordions, which can be roughly divided into diatonic accordion, chromatic accordion, button accordion and keyboard accordion. Among them, the button accordion is very common, while the keyboard accordion is popular because it is close to the piano.

Accordion is the most popular in Russia and is called Russian folk musical instrument.

organ

Organ is a kind of organ, a breathing instrument with a living reed. Organ has a loud sound and full timbre, which is especially suitable for playing sacred religious music. Many musicians have worked as organists in churches, such as Bach.

Organ is the most complicated, bulky and expensive instrument of all. The organ was originally a purely Christian instrument, so many churches will build an organ at the same time when they are built. In fact, the structure of the organ is attached to the building structure, so the size of the organ depends on the scale of the building. At present, almost all Christian churches, concert halls and opera houses have organs.